1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a foldable packaging device for protecting articles within a box and the like and, more particularly, it relates to a foldable packaging device for protecting the corners and edges of packed articles within a box and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When articles are shipped from one location to another, it is necessary to safely pack or crate the articles to inhibit damage to the articles. In many cases, such articles consist of electronic instruments, cabinets, desks, appliances, furniture, and a wide variety of other similar articles which have substantially rectangular or square-shaped edges. In the past, articles such as those listed above, have been packaged in various different ways, but in most cases, such packaging devices and techniques have been unsatisfactory to inhibit damage.
One technique used by many companies and people to package various articles has been to utilize packing material formed from shredded or wadded paper. Prior to the article being place in the box or crate, the packing material is placed at the bottom of the box or crate. Once the article is placed in the carton or crate, the packing material is stuffed into the packing carton or crate about the sides, back, and top of the article. The box or crate is then closed and sealed. Clearly, to accomplish this packing technique, an excessive amount of packing material is required which is expensive, and once the article has arrived at its final destination, the user must then remove and dispose of all of this packing material. Furthermore, the described technique provides questionable protection of the articles since the packing material would tend to move and shift during transport of the article thereby compromising the ability of the packing material to protect the article.
Another technique which has been utilized to package articles such as electronic instruments or the like, has been to use pre-formed cushions of a resilient material, such as expanded polystyrene or rubber. The packing cushions are pre-formed in that the cushions are molded to conform to the contour of either the top or bottom, or both, of the article to be packaged. This technique permits the article to be positioned, for example, in a bottom pre-formed cushion after which a top pre-formed cushion is positioned on top the article. The article is then enclosed and sealed within the box or crate thereby effectively sandwiching the article between the packing cushions within the box.
Unfortunately, even though such packing material originally accompanies the article from the manufacture to the consumer, the packing material is either disposed with the original box due to the bulkiness of the packing material or otherwise misplaced or lost such that when the article is being prepared to be transported again, the original packing material is no longer available. Therefore, unless the user can acquire additional pre-formed cushions at a relatively high cost, the user is forced to employ the first technique list above by wadding paper or other material into the box or crate. Furthermore, such pre-formed cushions are molded to fit a particular article, such that the pre-formed cushions cannot be used for any other articles which are of a different size thereby limiting the interchangeability in utilizing such pre-formed cushions with other articles.
There have been attempts in the prior art to improve the shortcomings in packaging materials. The Schmid, U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,720, describes a protective cushioning pad formed from a single piece of substantially flat, resilient material formed into at least two discrete sections with each section being foldable with respect to another section along a full fold line therebetween. A metallic strip is mounted on the material and traverses each of the fold lines between adjacent sections permitting each of the sections to be folded with respect to the next adjacent section and retained in any preselected angularized folded position. Alternatively, the metallic strip permits the sections to be unfolded with respect to one another and positioned in a flat or unfolded posture.
Unfortunately, the cushioning pad of the Schmid patent has several deficiencies. First, while the metallic strips permit the sections to maintain their folded position, the addition of the metallic strips to the cushioning pad increases the costs of manufacturing the cushioning device which, in turn, increases the costs to the purchasing consumers. Second, the Schmid patent's cushioning device does not provide any means for securing the cushioning pad to the box or crate after insertion of the cushioning device. Upon shipping, the cushioning pads, and the articles packed within the box, will tend to move about the box thereby increasing the chances of the articles being damaged. Furthermore, the cushioning pads of the Schmid patent are not positionable anywhere within the box such that they lock the article within the box in place.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a foldable packaging device for protecting articles within a box and the like. Additionally, a need exists for a foldable packing device which maintains its predetermined shape when positioned about the corners of the articles within the box and the like. Furthermore, there exists a need for a foldable packaging device which maintains its predetermined position relative to the box and locks the article into place upon positioning of the foldable packing device within the box and the like.